Writing-tablet.



No. 644,656. Patented Mar. 6, |900. H. E. YOUTSEY.

WRITING TABLET.

Application medN'ov. 2s, 1899.)

(No Model.)

' I NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

HENRY E. YOUTSEY, OF FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY.

WRITING-TABLET.

SFECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 644,656, dated. March6, 1900.

Application filed November 28, 1899. Serial No. 738,618. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. YoUTsEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Fran kfort, in the county of Franklin and State ofKentucky, have invented a new -and useful Writing-Tablet, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to writing-tablets in general, and moreparticularly to that class adapted for use in the taking of telephonemessages, in the writing of shorthand notes, and under other conditionsWhere it is desired to preserve the written matter and where theannoyance of changing sheets is to be avoided.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in whichsimilar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts inthe several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the feedingmeans. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 with the paper-roll omittedto show the construction of thereceiving-spindle, one side of the casingbeing shown partially in section, as also one end of the spindle andadjacent parts. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail elevation showing one end of one of the winding-spindles andillustrating the arrangement of the groove, through the medium of whichit is held against longitudinal displacement.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention includes a casecomprisinga preferably rectangular base 5, having an end portion 6rising 'at right angles thereto. To the side edges of the base and endpiece are fixed side pieces 7, which are substantially triangular inoutline and which side pieces have upwardly-projecting bearing portions8 and 9 adjacent to the end piece 6.

A cover portion 10 is secured upon the upper edges of the side pieces 7and extends from the narrowed ends of the side pieces to the bases ofthe bearing portions 8. In this cover portion 10 at that end adjacent tothe bearing portions 8 and 9 there is formed a rectangular opening 11,in which is disposed a lid 12, which is hinged at 13 and 14 to the cover10 above the side 7, and this lid l2 is adapted to lie iiush with theupper face of the cover 10 and projects normally inwardly and betweenthe bearing portions 8 and 9. In the edge of the lid 12, remote from theend piece 6, there is formed a recess 13a, in which is journaled aroller `15, Which extends transversely of the casing and almost entirelyacross the lid.

In, the sides 7 of the casing and near the bottom thereof, adjacent tothe end piece 6, there are formed bearings for a spindle 16, thisspindle having at one end and exteriorly of the side of the casing ahand-Wheel 17 or other form of handle, by means ofvwhich the spindle maybe held When moving it into and. out of engagement with its bearings.The spindle 16 has a peripheral groove 18 adjacent to the hand-Wheel 17,and With which groove there is engaged a pivoted hook 19 (shown indotted lines in Fig. 1) to hold the spindle against outwarddisplacement.' This spindle 16 is adapted to receive snugly a tubularspool, upon which is Wound a strip of paper, as Will be hereinafterdescribed.

Above the bearings for the spindle 16 are formed additional bearings 19and 20. In the bearing` 19 is rotatably mounted a spool 2l, the flangesof which lie upon opposite faces of the side piece of the casing toprevent displacement ofthe spool,and one of these flanges 22 isremovably secured to the spool to permit application and removal of thelatter. In the inner end of the spool 21 there is formed a squaredrecess 25, adapted to receive the correspondingly-formed end of aspindle 26, which is passed through the bearing 20. This spindle 26 `hasa hand-wheel 27 at its opposite end, which lies outside of the casing,and between the hand-wheel and the side of the casing there is formed aperipheral groove similar to the groove 18 in the spindle 16, and withwhich groove there is engaged a hook 28 to prevent longitudinal movementof the spindles 26 and consequent disengagement thereof from the spool2l. The spindle 26 has a longitudinal slot 29, adapted to receive thetapered end of the strip of paper above referred to in order that thepaper will be wound upon the spindle 26 when ythe latter is rotated.

In order to give the spindle 26 a step-bystep rot-ation, a ratchet-wheel30 is mounted upon the spool 21 at the outer end thereof, and with thisdisk there is adapted to engage a pawl 3l, pivoted to a rock-lever 32,which is fulcrumed upon one side 7 of the casing,

IOO

and which paWl is normally held in engagement with the ratchet-diskthrough the medium of a spring 33, mounted upon the lever. A block 34 ispivoted adjacent the outer end of the lever 32 and when in one positionpermits engagement of the pawl with the ratchetdisk. This block 34 isadapted to be moved to engage the pawl 3l and move and hold it out ofengagement with the ratchet-disk, whereby when desired the direction ofmovement of the spindle 26 may be reversed.

The onteiend of the lever 32 is bent away from the side of the casingand then rearwardly, and upon the upper edge of the rearwardly-bentportion there is fixed a fingerpiece 38, adapted to receive pressure ofthe finger of the operator to move the lever and rotate the spindle 26.A stop is provided to limit the downward movement ofthe fingerpiece 3Sand comprises a thumb-screw 39, passed through a threaded perforation ina bracket 40 upon the side 7 of the casing,-

and which thu nib-screw is adjustable in the bracket and is adapted forengagement by the lever 32. This operating-lever 32 is held normally andyieldably from engagement with the thumb-screw 39 by aspring 4l, securedto the side of the casing and bearing upon the lever. Thus as thefinger-piece 3S is operated the ratchet-disk 30 and therewith thespindle 26 will be rotated. A second stop 42 is disposed in the path ofthe lever 32 and limits the movement of this lever away from thethumb-screw 39. Hence by manipulation of the thumb-screw the length ofthe path of movement of the lever 32 may be varied and the length ofeach step in the rotation of the spindle 26 may be established.

In practice a roll 45 of paper, having a tubular spool 46, is placed inthe casing, after which the spindle 16 is passed into its bearings andthrough the spool, the hook 19 being engaged with the spindle to preventits displacement. The lid l2 being raised, the end of the paper is drawnrearwardly through the opening ll and the cover is then shut down. Thepaper is then taken forwardly over the roller 15 and then under aguide-strip 47, fixed upon the upper surface of the lid l2, and itstapered end is then passed into the slot 29 of the spindle 26. Throughthe medium-of a hand-wheel 27 or the finger-piece 3S the spindle 26 isthen rotated until the paper is firmly wound thereon, when the device isready for use. In order to maintain proper tension of the roll 45, aspring-finger 49 is secured to the inner face of the end piece 6 andbears against the roll, so that the paper lying upon the lid l2, whichforms a desk, is maintained at all times at the proper tension. Vhen theexposed portion of the paper has been Written upon or when one or morelines have been written, the lever 32 may be operated to roll a portionof the paper upon the spindle 26 and correspondingly move the paper overthe lid 12. By this means the necessity for turning leaves or tearingofi. sheets is removed,

and where rapid notes are to be taken it is not necessary that thewriter move his hand` downwardly of the casing at all. After the properamount. of paper has been wound upon the spindle 26 it is desired toremove the spindle, with the paper thereon, and for this purpose a slot50 is formed in the bearing portion 8 and leading to the bearing 20, andafter the hook 28 has been disengaged from the spindle 26 said spindlemay be disengaged from the spool 2l and may then be removed from theeasing.

If at any time it is desired to rewind a portion of the paper upon theroll 45, this may be done by operation of the hand-wheel 17 upon thespindle 16, the spool 46 being fitted to the spindle sufficiently closeto permit this operation.

It will be understood that in practice the specic structure shown may bevaried and that any desired materials and proportions may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

That is claimed isl. A tablet comprising a casing having a fixed topcovering a portion thereof, a lid hinged to the casing and adapted tomove into and ont of the plane of the top, a roller carried by the lidadapted for movement with the same to permit the adjustment of a stripthereto, and winding-spindles journaled in the casing and adapted toreceive a strip of paper engaging the roller carried by the lid.

2. A tablet comprising a casing having a fixed portion forming anarm-rest, a lid hinged to the casing, a guide-roller journaled in thelid and adapted to receive a strip of paper passed over the lid, saidlid being adapted for movement to carry the paper into operativerelation to the arm-rest and ont of operative relation thereto tofacilitate the adjustment of the paper strip,- and winding spindlesmounted in the casing and adapted to feed and receive the paper passedover the lid.

A tablet comprising a casing having an arm-rest, a lid for the easinghaving a guideroller and adapted to receive a strip of paper,- said lidbeing adapted for movement to carry the paper into operative relation tothe armrest and for movement away from the armrest to facilitate theapplication of the paper, and paper-carrying devices in the' easing.

4. A tablet comprising a casing having a IOO IIO

cover for a portion thereof, a lid hinged to l the casing and havingarecess in its edge adjacent to the cover, a guide-roller journalcd inthe recess and adapted to receive a strip of paper passed over the lid,and paper-hold ing devices within the easing, said lid being adapted formovement toward and away from said cover to hold the paper inoperative/relation thereto and to facilitate the application of thepaper to the lid.

5. A tablet comprising a casing provided with a lid havinga recess inits edge, an armrest upon the casing, a guide-roller mounted in therecess of the lid, a guide-strip upon the lid, a spindle rotatablymounted in the casing and adapted to receive a paper-roll, a hand-Wheelupon the spindle, a peripheral groove in the spindle exteriorly of thecasing, a hook pivoted to the casing and adapted for engagement with thegroove to hold the spindle from longitudinal displacement,- a spooljournaled in the casing and having an angular recess, a second andremovable spindle journaled in the casing and having an angular portionengaging the recess, said spindle being adapted to receive paper fromthe roll upon the first spindle, a peripheral groove in the secondspindle, a hook pivoted to the casing and adapted for engagement withthe groove to hold the spindle from longitudinal HENRY E. YOUTSEY;

Witnesses:

G. L. ROBERTS, W. H. CULroN.-

